Rolling mill



W. J. KOREY ROLLING MILL Jan. 17, 1967 3 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1965 INVENTOK W. J. KOREY ROLLING MILL Jan. 17, 1967 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1963 m NNN //VVE/VTOR r W/LL/AM u, KO/iiy United States Patent Oflice 3,298,2lh Patented Jan. 117, we?

3,298,216 ROLLING MILL William J. Korey, Greentree, Pa, assignor to Hilary-Knox Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 324,937 9 Claims. (Cl. 72-239) This invention relates to rolling mills and has to do particularly with means facilitating the changing of the rolls of a rolling mill, especially the work rolls.

In changing a work roll of a rolling mill the roll and and chocks are removed in a direction generally along the roll axis through the side of the roll housing opposite the side at which the means for driving the roll are disposed. The roll to be removed may be grasped in various ways to withdraw it from the roll housing. One method of removing a roll is to grasp the non-driven end of the roll by suitable means such as a porter bar or a carrier of a roll changing apparatus as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 334,441, filed December 26, 1963, and withdraw the roll through the housing window. Difficulty is often encountered in disengaging the driven end of the roll from the driving means, especially when a gear-type spindle coupling is employed. The end of the roll tends to stick in the coupling and has to be freed, requiring time and labor.

I have devised means solving the problem above referred to and insuring ready freeing of the driven end of the roll from the driving means. This greatly facilitates the changing of rolls and saves time and labor.

I provide a rolling mill comprising a mill housing, an assembly comprising roll chocks carrying a roll mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the roll having a driving connection with the roll at one end thereof and means connected with the housing positioned to bear against said assembly and move said assembly generally axially of the roll away from the driving means to remove the roll from the housing for changing rolls. The moving means are preferably positioned to bear against the assembly at two points respectively at opposite sides thereof to avoid skewing or binding of the roll chocks in the housing.

The moving means are preferably positioned to bear against the roll chock at the end of the roll having the driving connection, it being understood that the chocks are removed with the roll. The moving means may be of any suitable character, such as mechanical jacking means or electrically powered means, but I prefer to utilize cylinder means connected with the housing together with piston means therein positioned to bear against the assembyl and means delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinder means to move the piston means in the cylinder means. Desirably cylinders are mounted at opposite sides of the assembly, pistons are disposed in the cylinders positioned to bear against the assembly and means are provided delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinders to move the pistons in the cylinders. I preferably provide a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure and means conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from said source to the cylinders. The pistons in the cylinders are desirably positioned to bear against the roll chock at the driven end of the roll. It would be possible to dispose the moving means to bear directly against the roll but it is generally more convenient and also more practicable to exert removing pressure on the roll chock at the driven end of the roll rather than on the roll itself.

More specifically I provide a rolling mill comprising a mill housing, backing roll means including chock means therefor mounted in the housing, an assembly comprising a work roll and chocks therefor mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the work roll having a driving connection with the work roll at one end thereof and means mounted on the chock means for the backing roll means positioned to bear against said assembly and move said assembly generally axially of the work roll away from the driving means to remove the work roll from the housing for changing work rolls. The backing roll means may include upper and lower backing rolls with chocks therefor. Upper and lower work rolls with chocks therefor may be mounted in the housing between the upper and lower backing rolls with driving means for driving the work rolls having driving connections with the work rolls at one end thereof. I preferably provide means mounted on the backing roll chocks positioned to bear against the work roll chocks and move the work rolls and their chocks generally axially of the work rolls away from the driving means.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which FIGURE 1 is an end view of a rolling mill, the roll driving spindles being shown in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line lI--Il of FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a. fragmentary vertical axial cross-sectional view of the rolling mill.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the rolling mill per se may be of conventional structure comprising a housing 2 in which the rolls are mounted in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The particular mill shown in the drawings is a 4-high mill having an upper work roll 3, a lower work roll 4, an upper backing roll 5 mounted in chocks 5a and a lower backing .roll 6 mounted in chocks 6a. The upper work roll 3 is driven by a driving spindle 7 and the lower work roll 4, is driven by a driving spindle s. The driving spindles 7 and 8 may have a conventional driving connections with the work rolls 3 and 4, respectively, such as the well known gear-type spindle couplings. The driving spindles are connected with and driven by suitable driving means 9 which may be of conventional construction. Suitable means are provided for vertically separating the rolls when roll changes are to be effected. In the drawings the rolls are shown separated ready for withdrawal of the work rolls for the substitution of new work rolls. Since all of the mechanism thus far described is conventional and well known to those skilled in the art, unnecessary descriptive detail has been avoided.

Connected with the housing 2 at the face thereof at the driving side of the mill are four brackets, a pair of opposed upper brackets 10 and 11 and a pair of opposed lower brackets 12 and 13. The brackets may be mounted directly on the housing 2 if desired, but I find it more convenient to mount the brackets on the chocks for the backing rolls. In the drawings the upper brackets 10 and 11 are mounted on one of the chocks 5a for the upper backing roll 5 and the lower brackets 12 and 13 are mounted on one of the chocks do: for the lower backing roll 6. Since at the time of the actual changing of the work rolls the backing rolls and their chocks are disposed in position in the housing 2 the mounting of the brackets on the backing roll chocks constitutes connecting the brackets with the housing since the backing roll chocks on which the brackets are mounted are carried by the housing.

The upper brackets and 11 are disposed at opposite sides of the upper work roll 3 and the lower brackets 12 and 13 are disposed at opposite sides of the lower work roll 4. Each of the four brackets carries a cylinder whose axis is generally parallel to the roll axis. The bracket 10 carries a cylinder 10a, the bracket 11 carries a cylinder 1111, the bracket 12 carries a cylinder 12a, and the bracket 13 carries a cylinder 13a. A piston is disposed in each of the four cylinders and has a portion projecting inwardly of the housing through suitable packing means at the inward end of the cylinder. The projecting portions of the pistons in the cylinders 10a and 13a, which projecting portions are designated respectively 1012 and 1317, are shown in FIGURE 2 and the projecting portions of the pistons in the cylinders 11a and 13a, which projecting portions are designated respectively 11b and 13b, are shown in FIGURE 3. Each of the pistons has ports 14 at its opposite ends for admission and discharge through suitable connections (not shown) of fluid under pressure for moving the piston in either direction in the cylinder. I prefer to employ hydraulic fluid under pressure and provide a source of such fluid with suitable valving so that hydraulic fluid under pressure may be admitted to either end of each cylinder and at the same time discharged from the opposite end thereof. The two cylinders disposed at opposite sides of each of the work rolls 3 and 4 are preferably connected in parallel to the source of hydraulic fluid under pressure so that the pistons in both of those cylinders operate simultaneously.

As well known to those skilled in the art, each work roll and its chocks adjacent opposite ends of the roll form a unit or assembly so that when a work roll is to be changed the roll and its chocks are removed together and a new roll with its chocks is inserted. The pistons in the cylinders above described are positioned to bear against the assembly of roll and chocks, i.e., the pistons in the cylinders 10a and 11a are positioned to bear against the assembly of the upper work roll 3 and its chocks 3a, while the pistons in the cylinders 12a and 13a are positioned to bear against the assembly of the lower work roll 4 and its chocks 4a. While the pistons may be positioned to bear against the rolls themselves it is generally preferable to position them to bear against the roll chocks as shown in the drawings. The pistons in the cylinders 10a and 11a are positioned to bear against the chocks 3a at the driven end of the upper work roll 3 while the pistons in the cylinders 12a and 13a are positioned to bear against the chock 4:: at the driven end of the lower work roll 4.

When one of the work rolls, for example, the upper work roll 3, is to be removed its non-driven end is grasped by any suitable means as above referred to and the roll is moved generally in the direction of its axis toward its non-driven end through the window at the side of the housing. At the same time fluid under pressure is admitted to the outer ends of the cylinders 10a and 11a and the pistons in those cylinders are forced against the adjacent roll chock 3a and push the assembly of the roll 3 and its chocks 3a so as to positively disengage the driven end of the roll from its driving spindle 7. This insures against binding or hanging up of the driven end of the roll in the spindle coupling which may otherwise occur, particularly when a gear-type spindle coupling is employed. Thus my moving means for positively moving the rolls and their chocks to insure disengagement of the rolls from the driving spindles cooperate with the means grasping the non-driven ends of the rolls to accomplish a rapid and etficient roll changes. If means are provided for grasping the non-driven ends of and removing simultaneously both the upper work roll 3 and the lower work roll 4 the pistons in all four of the cylinders 10a, 11a, 12a and 13a may be simultaneously actuated.

When roll changing apparatus having a carrier as disclosed in said copending application is employed the mov ing means may push the non-driven ends of the rolls into the sockets of the carrier.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rolling mill comprising a mill housing, an assembly comprising roll chocks carrying a roll mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the roll having a driving connection with the roll at one end thereof and means connected with the housing positioned to bear against said assembly at the end thereof at which the driving means are disposed and push said assembly generally axially of the roll away from the driving means to remove the roll from the housing for changing rolls.

2. A rolling mill comprising a mill housing, an assembly comprising roll chocks carrying a roll mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the roll having a driving connection with the roll at one end thereof and means connected with the housing positioned to bear against said assembly at two points respectively at opposite sides thereof at the end thereof at which the driving means are disposed and push said assembly generally axially of the roll away from the driving means to remove the roll from the housing for changing rolls.

3. A rolling mill comprising a mill housing, an assembly comprising roll chocks carrying a roll mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the roll having a driving connection with the roll at one end thereof and means connected with the housing positioned to bear against the roll chock at said end of the roll and move said assembly generally axially of the roll away from the driving means to remove the roll from the housing for changing rolls.

4. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said moving means comprise cylinder means, piston means therein positioned to bear against said assembly and means delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinder means to move the piston means in the cylinder means.

5. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said moving means comprise cylinders mounted at opposite sides of said assembly, pistons in the cylinders positioned to bear against said assembly and means delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinders to move the pistons in the' cylinder.

6. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said moving means comprise cylinders mounted at opposite sides of said assembly, pistons in the cylinders positioned to bear against said assembly, a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure and means conducting hydraulic fluid under pressure from said source to the cylinders to move the pistons in the cylinders.

7. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said moving means comprise cylinders mounted at opposite sides of said assembly, pistons in the cylinders positioned to bear against the roll chock at said end of the roll and means delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinders to move the pistons in the cylinders.

8. A rolling mill comprising a mill housing, backing roll means including chock means therefor mounted in the housing, an assembly comprising a work roll and chocks therefor mounted in the housing, driving means for driving the work roll having a driving connection with the work roll at one end thereof and means mounted on the chock means for the backing roll means positioned to bear against said assembly and move said assembly generally axially of the work roll away from the driving means to remove the work roll from the housing for changing work rolls.

9. A rolling mill comprising a mill housing, upper and lower backing rolls with chocks therefor mounted in the housing, upper and lower work rolls with chocks therefor mounted in the housing between the upper and lower backing rolls, driving means for driving the work rolls having driving connections with the work rolls at one end thereof and means mounted on the backing roll chocks positioned to bear against the Work r011 checks and move the work rolls and their chocks generally axially of the work rolls away from the driving means to remove the work rolls from the housing for changing work rolls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 737,277 9/ 1903 Rowland 72245 1,887,870 11/1932 Coe 72-245 2,095,448 10/1937 McBane 72-245 2,525,687 10/ 1950 Kritscher 72245 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD J. HERBST, Examiner. 

1. A ROLLING MILL COMPRISING A MILL HOUSING, AN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING ROLL CHOCKS CARRYING A ROLL MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING, DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE ROLL HAVING A DRIVING CONNECTION WITH THE ROLL AT ONE END THEREOF AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE HOUSING POSITIONED TO BEAR AGAINST SAID ASSEMBLY AT THE END THEREOF AT WHICH THE DRIVING MEANS ARE DISPOSED AND PUSH SAID ASSEMBLY GENERALLY AXIALLY OF THE ROLL AWAY FROM THE DRIVING MEANS TO REMOVE THE ROLL FROM THE HOUSING FOR CHANGING ROLLS. 